The next day, Marty entered the classroom where the Interaction Class was to take place.  He opted to begin in the most immediate class so that he would come at a different time than the girls.  As he looked around the room, he saw about a dozen people who were currently in their seats as they talked to their respective cliques. The room itself had seats for 50 and appeared as though it could house 100. 

Martel sat down at a window-side desk that was absent a nameplate.  He absentmindedly played for the touch screen top while he waited for the instructor.   

“Who is that?”  

“I didn’t hear about us expecting a new guy.”  

“I sorry for him if he’s going to sit next to those three.”

Marty didn’t pay much attention to the banter of others as he took his seat and appeared to nod off.

“I heard that you requested a Rank Analysis.” One of the students said to another.

“I did.” The other replied. “I achieved a Manifestation.” He continued with a sly grin.

“Seriously?  Show me.”

“Okay, here I go,” He said as he extended his hand.  His Ki swirled before it formed into the shape of a sword. “See?” *Ting* He said as he flicked the Ki sword which created a metallic sound.  Though the sound was certainly not something you would expect to hear from Ki, it also did not sound exactly like a sword either. Its overall detail was fairly limited as it looked more like a rough copy.

“That’s not too impressive. That’s one of the common manifestations.  Almost anyone with enough patience can achieve it simply by constantly infusing a sword with Ki.”

“It is still a manifestation.  They say that, at the very least, I will become ranked B if not higher.  I may soon be leaving you guys behind.” He replied with pride.

Marty eyed the Ki Sword with a hint of disdain.  He could see that a large amount of Ki had left the blade, which meant that Ki would have to be continuously replenished.  Though he couldn’t yet achieve a Manifestation at will, he could tell that the Ki Sword was one of the lowest quality Manifestations.  He was rightly confident that if he also completed a Ki Sword Manifestation, it would be superior.  

Though the prideful thought crossed his mind, it was not of arrogance, but confidence.  More than the average person, Marty had always focused on the three aspects of Ki. This meant that he could more efficiently control prolonged Ki techniques as Ki would be lost at a far slower rate.  It appeared as though roughly 75% of the Ki in the Ki Sword was lost. If Marty did the same, he was confident that it would not lose more than 25%. In a prolonged battle, he could last far longer if he had the same amount of total Ki.

“I see you came today, Marty,” Carl said as he approached.

“I suppose so,” Marty replied without much emotion.

“By the way, did you hear about Chloe?”

“Chloe?”

“You know, the pretty brunette who joined the karate class around the same time as me?  The one whose looks didn’t match for shy and timid personality. You used to talk to her and help her out quite a bit.”

“I remember, She would always say ‘sorry’ over the smallest thing.  I was asking which one.”

“There was more than one?...  Nevermind… Anyway, she continued after you left, but disappeared about a year ago.  It wasn’t until her parents showed up looking for her that I realized she had probably become an abductee.  I originally thought it was because you left and she had a thing for you.”

“I doubt it. It’s a little weird for an 18-year-old to have serious feelings for 14-year-old.”

“Don’t ask me why you were so popular.  At any rate, I just thought you might want to know.” He said as he made his way to his seat.

“Thanks,” Marty replied as Professor Little came in the classroom while being tailed by three other people.

Each played a handheld as they walked and sat down to surround Mart.  They didn’t seem to notice him as they were engrossed in their gaming.  They continued this as Professor Little began to speak.

“Before we begin, we have one addition to this small class.  If you wouldn’t mind introducing yourself.” He said as he nodded to Marty.

With a sigh, Marty stood up. “My name is Marty.  Nice to meet you all.” Marty said monotone before he sat back down.

“That’s it?” One of the three handhelders asked.

“I’ll fill in the rest,” Professor Little said. “He’s an Abductee, who just tested yesterday and doesn’t have his card yet.  His Ability Ranking is F.

“F?” One of the young men of a small group of what appeared to be hooligans asked with a chuckle.

“I’d be careful,” Carl interjected. “I was the tester.  His fighting ability is much higher.”

“Really?” A short-haired brunette asked as she looked at Marty. “Is he one of… Them?”

“No, at least, I don’t think so...  Unless he got scouted.”

“Could you please stop giving out personal information,” Marty said with a sigh.

“Give the new guy a break,” Little said with a laugh. “We are going to have a little free time before a lecture I prepared.  Go ahead.”

At his words, the class got into small groups which usually consisted of the people in their immediate vicinity.  After a couple of seconds, Marty noticed the three handhelders had all turned to look at him with strange smiles.

“Another F.”

“Welcome, comrade.”

“Welcome to the club.”

“... Thanks?” Marty replied, confused.

“We should introduce ourselves.” One of them said as he rose from his seat.  He appeared to be in his late teens with black hair and a decent face. Unlike Marty’s now muscular build, he sported a slimmer athletic figure. “My name is Harry,” He said.

“My name is Joe.” Said another as he waved.  He was short and bulky without any outstanding features except for his bowl haircut.

“I’m Bentley.” The third said though he did not remove his eyes from his handheld.  With his round glasses, hunched over posture and build, the terms geek or nerd would fit him well.

“I see… Nice to meet you all.” Marty respond. “Are you all playing a game together?”

“No,” Bentley replied. “We are playing the same game, though.”

“What kind of game?”

“A dating simulation.”

“Would you like to play?”

“No, I don’t play galge,” Marty replied absentmindedly.

“Galge?” Joe repeated with a sly smile.

[Whoops.] Marty thought as he realized his mistake.

“To refer to them as such, it seems as though you are one of us, brother.”

“Not really,” Marty replied uncomfortably.

“““One of us, one of us.””” The three of them started to chant while they pounded on their tables.

“Keep it down,” Little said to calm them.

“Would you like to play?” Joe asked as he handed his handheld to Marty.  The instant he did so, it went to the main menu though no buttons had been pressed.  Marty did not recall that he had touched a button once even though it had kept most of his attention.

“Come on, just for a bit. There’s a save slot just for you.”

“Fine,” Marty said with a sigh as he took it. “So that you stop pestering me about it.”

As he did so, he noticed something strange.  Even though he couldn’t see the screen, he could tell what was there and what options were available.  Reflexively, he tried to press a button in his mind, and the game progressed even though he didn’t push it physically.  He could see more than just the current screen in his mind. He could also see the ending.

“So,” Harry said as he came close. “What’s your type?”

“Sorry?” Marty asked as he feigned confusion.

“Your type of girl.  I like girls with big boobs.” Harry continued as he made a slightly obscene expression and groped with his hands.

“Flatness is justice!” Bentley said with a strange amount of conviction.

In comparison, Joe stayed quiet.  

“Joe’s a lolicon and only into 2D girls,” Harry said flatly.

“Hey!” Joe exclaimed, clearly pissed.

“... I see,” Marty said.

So? What’s your type?” Harry asked again.

“I don’t have a type,” Marty replied with a sigh.

“Come on; you gotta have something.  Unless… Unless you swing that way.”

“I do not,” Marty replied with furrowed brows.

“So?  Do you like big breasts, little breasts, or are you a lolicon?”

“I have more interest in girls than their bodies.” [Seeing as I have at least one of every type waiting at home.  Wait, does that make me even more of a pervert?]

“So you’re okay with anyone or anything so long as it is female then?”

“Not anyone and certainly not anything,” Marty replied with a bit of an angry tone. “At the very least, she has to be human… ish.  So I take it your tastes transfer to your dating sims then.” Marty said to change the subject.

“Of course,” Bentley replied.

“None of you ever tried the harem route, huh?”

“No,” Joe said bluntly in surprise. “Not all the girls fit our tastes, and it’s tough without cheating.  You have to consider all the girls’ feelings as well as deal with their jealousy toward each other. Not all the girls in the game are immune to that making it difficult and possibly causing a total conquest failure.  We are much more likely to find girls like that in a different world than even a video game… I want to go to another world.” He said with a distant look in his eyes.

“Me too,” Bentley added in a dreamy state.

“Me three,” Harry confirmed with a perverse look as he gave a thumbs up.

“Wrap it up.” Little said.

“Here you go,” Marty said as he handed Joe back his handheld.

“You can keep it until the end of the class, you know?  The lectures aren’t important and… You beat it? Already?  And… You got the harem route? How?” He said with a stupefied expression.

“God only knows,” Marty said with a sigh.

“All right, if I can have everyone’s attention.” Little said. “For this lecture, I’ve prepared a summary of theories done by this university’s very own Thinker in regards to things about the convergence.  Before I begin, Marty, you are excused.”

“Very well,” Marty replied as he got up and began to make his way out.

“Hey, how come the new guy gets out of the lecture?” A student who was one of the few dressed like a delinquent asked.  

“He is not required to attend for the first couple of weeks as he just got back.” Little replied.

“Also, there’s not much point in him listening to a summary of papers that he wrote himself,” Carl added with a chuckle.

“What did I say about not giving out my personal information,” Marty said with a sigh.  As he left, he couldn’t help but notice the stares of disbelief that were aimed at him.

...

A while after Marty left the class, the short-haired brunette sat in her art class while she painted and talked with her friends.

“Did you hear about that Abductee who came back ended up in the upper-division?” One of the girls asked. 

“No.” The short-haired brunette said. “Someone came back that strong?”

“Yes.  I got a good look at him too.  He is quite a looker.”

“Really?” Another asked.

However, before they could continue, the classroom door opened.  It was strange, given that all of the students were present. Through the door walked a young man with brown hair dressed in black, which the short-haired brunette recognized immediately.

“Hello, Professor,” He said with a soft smile as he looked at her.

“Marty?” She asked him. “It is you.  I hardly recognize you. Your face looks different, and you’ve gained muscle.”

“It’s an improvement, I hope.”

“You look good,” She says with a small smile. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Yes, I was in the mood to paint but have no equipment.  Would you mind if I used what’s here?”

“Of course, feel free to.  Is everything alright?” She asked him with the troubled expression.

“It’s certainly different,” He replied to defuse her question as he made his way to the art supplies.

“I was disappointed that you didn’t continue painting with your talent.”

“It’s not a talent. I’m more like a camera only painting what I see, not what I see in my mind.”

“It doesn’t change the fact you paint well.”

“I suppose,” He replied as he sat in the back to paint.

For a time, the classroom was silent due to the unusual situation.  On occasion, the other students would look back to see him work. However, only the short-haired brunette noticed what the others could not.  His Ki flowed freely through his body and brush, almost as if he used it to paint. The serious look in his eyes made her momentarily forget herself before she once again turned back to her painting.  A short time passed and not could be heard but the sounds of paintbrushes.

“So I hear you are on the Council for the University newsletter.” One girl said to another to break the silence.

“Yeah, I am.” The other replied.

“Isn’t it about time for the top 25 hunks of the University?” She asked with a sly smile.

“Yes, we are currently discussing that now. It’s due next week.”

“So? What’s the inside scoop?  Has anyone been picked yet?”

“Nothing is set.  We are currently narrowing down a list and checking their current looks.”

“What about…” She softly said as she motioned towards Marty. “There’s some muscle there, and he’s easy on the eyes.”

“I don’t know who that is, though.”

“His name is Marty.” The short-haired brunette whispered as she joined in. “I don’t know much else other than he might be The Thinker.”

“Really?   Is he your type?” One of the others teased.

“Stop that,” She replied with an embarrassed expression.

“We know you have a particular type.” Another pitched in. “Like a certain young man named-”

“Stop.” She interrupted them with an angry aura.

“I got it.  Then what about that new guy you mentioned earlier. He’s blond and quite the looker and appears quite strong.  I think his name was Freed.”

*Snap*

Nearly everyone in the room flinched at what felt like a cold, windless blast surged through the room before it disappeared.  It took seconds for some to remember to breathe while others had uncontrollable goosebumps. None but the brunette knew where it came from.  She looked behind her towards Marty. He stood there completely frozen with the brush in his hand snapped in two.

“I apologize, Professor,” He said as he switched to a smile. “I seem to have broken this brush.”

“Don’t… Don’t worry about it.” The professor said, still affected by the cold blast.

“Would you mind if I use another canvas?”

“Go ahead.”

The final hour of the three-hour class was relatively silent, say for the sound of the paintbrush.  The most notable being the quick movements that came from Marty. It was only near the end of the class that he stopped.  The rest of the class looked at him out of curiosity as he cleaned up before he exited the room. After he had gone, the professor made her way to see his work.  

“Professor,” One of the students began. “Should you be looking at it?”

“It’s fine.  I used to see his work before. I’m a little worried, though.  I knew that he would often draw out of depression.” She replied as she approached the painting. 

As soon as she saw it, her expression changed neutral as she slowly began to look it over in detail.  She remained speechless before a couple of the students got curious and also began to make their way over to the paintings.  Those who saw struggled to keep their eyes dry and knew not why. Finally, the short-haired brunette also made her way to the paintings.  Her reaction was much like the others except she couldn’t hold back her tears. What she saw was difficult to put into words. Both paintings were of the same beautiful woman of golden hair.  The detail of the paintings was surprisingly high, given that they were both done in just over two hours, and they appeared to be perspective pieces.  

The first showed her on a balcony with the sky illuminated by the setting sun.  Her looks were defenseless and adorable while her eyes showed so much life. The second was radically different from the first, which showed her on the ground being held by someone.  A gaping wound was present on her body as a trickle of blood flowed down her cheek. Her weak smile showed that she hadn’t much time left. They all wondered why these paintings so affected them emotionally, but the short-haired brunette knew.  From the paintings flowed an unmistakable steady stream of Ki. It was strange for it appeared to have no source, yet it did not wane. It was soft, gentle, and seemingly eternal, almost as if you could feel his love for her or their love for each other.  As she stared at these paintings, she finally noticed one other similarity. The bottom corner of the painting had a profile of a Red Dragon Head, almost like a signature.

“Is there something I can do for you?” Marty asked them as they stared at his paintings.

Out of embarrassment, many shook it off and went back to their works.  The professor gave him a sorry look before returning to the front of the room.  Only the short-haired brunette remained.

“Who… Who is that a painting of?” She asked him as he gathered the paintings.

She slightly flinched as he stopped and began to stare at the ceiling before he turned to her. “She was my fiancé,” He softly replied before he made his way through the room.

“What happened to her?” She asked him tentatively, which caused him to stop at the door.  His face turned dark, which drove the breath from many.

“She was murdered, by Freed,” He said before he exited the room.

The students stayed there frozen for a short time before they moved again.  Subsequently, neither Marty nor Freed appeared in the newsletter.

...

A few hours later, Morgan sat alone in her new home.  She blankly stared around as she had yet to fully absorb the fact that she was in a different world.  

*Ding Dong*

A sound reverberated through the house.  It took her a second to remember that the sound was called a doorbell, which meant someone was at the door.  Cali was with Marty downstairs, and Caelia and Shiro were together somewhere on the property to train, so she was currently alone in the house. She made her way to the door and looked at the device, which transmitted an image of the front step.  She recognized one of the two people on the doorstep as the man who guided them when they first arrived in this world, Thomas.

*Ding Dong*

“I’m here,” Morgan said loud enough for her voice to go through the door.

“Is that Morgan?” Thomas asked. “We have a delivery for Marty.”

“I see.  He is in the basement, I think?  Sorry about this, but Marty doesn’t want us to have guests if we are alone, so would you mind waiting why I go get him?”

“That’s no problem.  We will take a seat on the porch while we wait.”

“Thank you,” She replied as she began to look at the buttons.  [Now then. I think I can use this to contact him. Let me think…  There is a button I’m supposed to press.] She thought while she stared at the panel.  Her brow furrowed as she continued to think to no avail. [Forget this.] She thought as she clicked her tongue and scratched her head.  She turned and made her way down the stairs to go to the basement. As she did so, the sound of a string instrument and a voice gradually became louder.  When she entered the basement, she saw the sound came from Marty. He played an instrument while he faced away from her as he appeared to play for Cali, who sat across from him.  Morgan stopped and listened for a while. To her surprise, she found he had a good singing voice. She continued to listen to the song as she felt tears well up in her eyes. The song was beautiful and could even make the heavens cry.  It was then she noticed many different easels and paint equipment in the room. All of the paintings were of surprisingly good quality. Two of them were paintings of Freyja, one of which depicted a scene Morgan would rather forget. The next picture that caught her eye took her a second to realize what it was about. 

The picture depicted several figures at the front of the mansion.  In the center of the painting was Marty with a big smile. To his left was a beautiful young lady with long brunette hair who he had in a headlock.  Behind their left were a man and a woman who held hands. The physical appearance made it seem as though they were the parents of both Marty and the girl.  To Marty’s right was the unmistakable form of Freyja. Their arms were linked and hands intertwined as she leaned slightly into him with a smile to rival his own.  With her other arm, she hugged Morgan, who appeared embarrassed. Behind them were their deceased parents, who also smiled wonderfully. To their right were her brother Duran and his wife Sarah who held their infant son.  Tears slowly trickled down her face as she noticed letters which she could not understand. They showed “The Family Taken from Me.” 

Next to this painting was another of similar design.  However, there were many different individuals within it.  It showed Marty who had a smile, though less than in the other.  On his shoulders was Shiro with an adorable smile on her face. Seated on his raised right arm was a subtle smiling Cali.  Next to Cali was Caelia, whose posture expressed her embarrassment and skin, which was darker than her usual shade. Morgan was painted next to Marty with her hands on her hips while she cast a disapproving look at him.  All of them were in their Earth clothes. The bottom of the painting once again had letters which she couldn’t read. They showed as “The Family I Am Blessed with.” As she stared at the painting, she did not notice the music had stopped.

“I thought I told you to use the intercom to contact me,” Marty said gently, which brought her out of her trance.

“Sorry.” She said as she wiped the tears from her face. “I didn’t know you were such a good artist.”

“I picked up a few things here and there.” He said as he put away his instrument. “Is something going on?”

“Thomas and another man are here.  They are waiting at the front door.”

“I see, he’s earlier than scheduled.  Cali, can you get the other girls?”

“Yes.” She said before she made a slight hop down her seat and walked quickly and lightly before she disappeared up the stairs.

“Shall we go?” Marty asked Morgan as he extended his arm to her along with a smile.

“Fine.” She said as she feigned pride, though she felt embarrassed.

He took her hand and began to squeeze gently.  She was about to protest but kept from doing so after she saw his solemn expression and let him escort her back up the stairs in silence.

...

Marty opened the front door and walked out to find Thomas and another man dressed as a delivery man who was transporting a substantial and cylindrical object.

“Sorry for making you wait,” Marty said.

“It’s no problem,” Thomas replied with a smile. “I understand that we’re early, so it’s understandable.  Should we open this thing here?”

“I plan to give it one of the small rooms on the second floor. Why don’t we move it there while we wait for the other girls to come for the reveal?  It should just barely fit in the elevator.”

“Very well,” Thomas said as he motioned to the man.  

The man pushed the cylinder, which appeared to assist him.  They made their way to the elevator, which was large enough for all of them and the cylinder.

“What is this?” Morgan asked as they went up.

“You will see,” Marty said with a smile. “I ordered something very convenient.”

They took the container into one of the smaller bedrooms prepared to perform a quick install.

“Conveniently, it’s compatible with our electrical sockets,” Marty said as he plugged it in.

“It wasn’t originally and had to be modified.  Also, because they have higher standard electricity output, they installed a battery to store up electricity to make up for that.  They also added basic information regarding our world and included a large database of their information as it can’t access their network.  I also had them add the information for the mansion and bunker facilities as well.”

“That is convenient,” Marty replied just before he was suddenly tackled from behind. “Shiro, where are your manners?  We have guests.”

He twisted around to look at her and was greeted by a big smile.  After she had confirmed he had seen her smile, she separated and moved in front of him. “Good to see you again.  Nice to see you.” She said with a bow as she spoke to Thomas and the delivery man respectively.

“Good girl. Here’s your reward,” Marty said before he swept her up in a princess carry which caused her to squeal and giggle cutely.  Marty set her down beside him, though she remained glued to his side, as Caelia and Cali entered the room. “Now that everyone is here, are we ready to begin?” Marty asked Thomas.

“Yes.  Just press that blinking button.” He replied. “While it can be changed, it will recognize the person who opens the container as their owner.”

“I see,” Marty respond as he reached out and pressed the button.  With a stereotypical *psshh*, the door slid open and the new housekeeper.  It had the appearance of a girl in her late teens with brunette hair which was bobcut. The realism in the skin color was a bit frightening, and it made Marty feel a bit guilty to refer to it as ‘it.’ She wore a revealing and slightly provocative French Maid outfit. Its eyes opened, and she looked around before she stepped out of the capsule in front of Marty. “Hello, Master.” She said as she made a polite curtsy.

Before Marty respond, a firm grip landed on his shoulder.  He turned to see Morgan, who gave off quite a frightening aura and an angry smile.

“Tell me, why would we need to be present for this?”

“What’s wrong?” Marty asked her, confused.

“Why are we going out of our way to meet your personal prostitute?”

“What? She isn’t a prostitute.  Technically, she isn’t even a she.”

“Then why she’s wearing such seductive clothing?  And why is she speaking so strangely?” Morgan continued as she pointed at her.

In response, the Android turned her head towards Morgan. “Error.” She said with a surprisingly sweet voice. “Verbal pattern not recognized from the provided languages.”

“What’s going on?” Thomas asked confusion.

“It seems as though these enchanted rings we use to communicate do not affect because it because it isn’t a living being,” Marty replied before he turned to the Android. “Can you learn other languages?”

“Provided enough exposure to the language, access to the required database, enough time, and required information, this one should be capable of learning any language.”

“Very good.  Can you begin now and still operate?”

“Yes.  This world’s limited technology does not require much processing power.”

“Very well.  Download any information about languages as you find relevant.  Prioritize languages from ancient Europe, particularly Germanic.”

“Understood.  Error, information inconsistency detected.  Network detected with higher capabilities than provided information would suggest possible.”

“Really?  Can you detect its source?”

“It appears to be emanating from Master.”

“From me?” Marty asked, confused.  The girls stood in silence as they tried to comprehend a conversation where they could only understand one person.  Thomas smirked in interest and enjoyment at the conversation. 

Marty came up next to it and spoke in a hushed tone. “Can you access it?”

“Error, this one does not have the required permissions.  Warning, detected network is to advance and can most likely bypass this one’s security.  Accessing to the said network is not advised.” It whispered back.

“How strange,” Marty mumbled to himself as he pondered. “Can I access your programming?”

“This one will lay itself bare at Master’s request.”

Martel’s eyebrow twitched as he cleared his throat and backed up.

“At any rate, Thomas, can you inform me about her so that all those present can understand?”

“I should have all the relevant information here.” He replied as he brought out his tablet.

Marty turned to the Android. “Can you change your clothing to be more reserved?”

“As you wish, it will be done shortly.” *psshh* 

“What would you like me to begin with?” Thomas asked me.

“How about physical specifications?”

“It’s model is referred to as the Advanced Neural Network Android V6x.  Its skeletal structure is composed of Adamantine. Adamantine, by the way, is a non-native metal which is far stronger and heavier than normal metals.  The rest of its physical structure is composed of titanium microbots allowing for easy repair and physical changes. The capsule provides the required facilities for additional repairs and changes to its body.  Its appearance can be modified to meet its owner’s tastes.”

“How about strength?”

“It is normally restricted to a level of strength about that of an adult male.  However, it can exceed this by their Master’s order, the detection of a dangerous situation, or if deemed necessary to follow their Master’s orders.”

“And their AI?”

“This is a bit more complex.  As is implied in their model, they have an advanced neural network.  They have many synthetic versions of human biological systems. Their AI is considered to be pseudo-sentient.  It is the culmination of a century’s worth of different androids learning from their unique situations. Even though they can learn, they cannot think, only react.  They use an MPU in addition to the neural network to process the information even though said network can’t be properly utilized. The main reason they did it was in the hope that one day, a sentient AI would be created and be installed.  By the way, they can use Computational Magic to a certain extent for things like repairing recently broken items and first aid.”

“I see.  What is the primary purpose?”

“They were made with older men in mind.  Humans can live well over 100 years in their world as they age more slowly due to their medical science, which has recently come under scrutiny due to negative effects.  As such, the androids are created to take care of the people in the household and the estate itself. Also, due to a dwindling population, they have been created with a fully functional artificial reproductive system.  With the eggs they have stored on ice, they have all the necessary artificial systems to bear and raise a child.”

“I… I see,” Marty said as he looked at the girls. Morgan’s glared at him, and Caelia looks a bit embarrassed.  The door to the cylinder slide opened, and she once again walked out with a more reserved version of her maid outfit.  

“Master, standard protocol requires you to provide a designation for this one.  Please inform this one of what you would be preferred to be called, and set permissions for additional users.”

“I see.  In that case, I am fine with being referred to as Master.  As for a name for you… How does Anna sound?”

“Understood, this one shall respond to the designation Anna.”

“These are the ladies of the household.  Shiro, Morgan, Caelia, and Cali.” Marty said as he pointed to each of them.

“Understood.  This one shall refer to them by their names following and including ‘Mistress.’ I have set them to Level II access behind only Master.  Is this satisfactory?”

“Yes, completely so.  Will picture association help you in understanding their language?”  

“Yes.  I can use the facilities of this household to that effect.”

“Very well.  Then, for now, basic maintenance of the home and learning their language are your current priorities.  After sufficiently doing the latter, I would like you to start teaching them English in moderation if possible.”

“As you wish,” She replied with the bow. “We can start now if the mistresses can spare the time.”

“Wait a moment; I have something for each of you,” Thomas said as he handed each of them a card. “This is an identification card that is recognized by the University and the government as a method of identification.”

Marty looked at the card and saw that it included his Ability Ranking as well as some numbers. “What are these?” He asked.

“You were not informed?  Well, it started a while ago.  It’s an additional ranking system based upon fights instead of ability.  You get points for winning fights. The number of points depends on the points of your opponent.  It was created in response to those who wanted to quantify a person’s fighting potential more accurately.”

“I see.  So the larger your number, the stronger you are regardless of how powerful your unique abilities are.  Are the girls needed for anything else?” Marty asked Thomas.

“No, just you.”

“Girls, go down to the entertainment center with Anna. She’s going to show you some images, and I want you to tell her what you see so she can learn your language.”

“Got it,” Caelia said before led the other girls away.

“Your assistance is no longer required,” Thomas said to the delivery men who gave a nod and exited.

“Any particular reason why you want us to be alone?” Marty asked.

“It’s not necessary, but preferable.” He answered with a sly smile. “Here you go.” He said as he handed Marty me what appeared to be a flip wallet.

“This is?” Marty asked as he opened it.

“Your badge as a reserve member of SUEMA, congratulations.” He replied with a sly smile.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Are you available in two days?”

“I guess.”

“The Director will be in the main headquarters, which is near the University, and we will explain everything then.”

“I don’t want any unnecessary responsibilities,” Marty said with a sigh.

“Do not worry, you’re still technically a civilian and are a reserve member.”

“And how did you pull this off?”

“Given your security clearance and your feats during a certain incident, it wasn’t difficult.”

“Still, I don’t want too many more surprises.

End of Day -136